This is a film best enjoyed by someone with a good understanding of Japanese history--in particular, the beginning of the Meiji period as the Shogunate is about to fall. If you have no idea what I just said, I'll try to explain, though there are MANY out there that know Japanese history much, much better than me and could explain it better. But,....her goes...
During the 1860s, Japan was changing rapidly as a result of the opening of Japan thanks to Admiral Perry's visit in the 1850s. Perry forced the country to open up to foreigners--something that had been banned for about 200 years. But, many in Japan longed for the old ways and a serious struggle ensued--like a civil war. The forces of change supported elevating the true power of the emperor (who had only held ceremonial power for hundreds of years). The traditionalists favored keeping the old ways--the expulsion of all foreigners and supported a strong Shogun (sort of like a "boss" who assumed power through diplomacy, skills and force). In the midst of these struggles, Japanese society was torn apart and chaos ruled the land. This is the background for the film--something the film assumed the audience knew--and if they were Japanese, this is probably true. But, this background is necessary and was never included in "When the Last Sword is Drawn".
Into this chaos came the Shinsengumi--a group made up of master-less samurai (ronin) who wanted to restore order in the land. They were traditionalists in many ways (hating foreigners and supporting the Shogun) but they also supported the Emperor--making them sort of like an independent force to ensure the peace. But, to do so, they needed to remain pure in spirit and deed as well as obey orders without question. This complete obedience is a theme throughout the film and several times their oath is put to the test, as followers were expected to kill themselves by committing ritual seppuku if they broke their oath.
Unlike some films from this period (such as "Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor" from 1969), this film really does not focus that much on the Shinsengami or its leaders but on two particular samurai within their ranks--but of the two, Kanichiro Yoshimura is clearly THE focus of the movie.
The film begins in 1898--well after the country has settled down to rule by the Emperor. Through a series of flashbacks that occur in a small medical clinic, you slowly start to learn the story of Yoshimura. However, the story comes out slowly and not always in a linear fashion. As a result, it can be VERY confusing. Now ultimately it's very rewarding that they did it this way, but once again, Westerners will most likely struggle to keep track of exactly what is occurring. I could say a lot more about the film but will leave that up for you to see for yourself. However, I liked it because it took an interesting slant on the idea of Bushido ('the way of the warrior'--literally the code by which the samurai lived). Unlike other films I've seen on the subject, Yoshimura's reasons for doing what he did are unique and you must see what this honorable man did for yourself.
Exceptional acting (I particularly liked the bit part played by Yoshimura's young daughter near the end of the movie), great swordplay, a nice deft direction as well as top-notch writing and sets make this among the best samurai films I have seen. If you like the genre, then you must see this film. But I do strongly recommend you first search the internet on the Shinsengumi to learn about them and their doomed mission before seeing the film--it will make things a lot clearer.
During the 1860s, Japan was changing rapidly as a result of the opening of Japan thanks to Admiral Perry's visit in the 1850s. Perry forced the country to open up to foreigners--something that had been banned for about 200 years. But, many in Japan longed for the old ways and a serious struggle ensued--like a civil war. The forces of change supported elevating the true power of the emperor (who had only held ceremonial power for hundreds of years). The traditionalists favored keeping the old ways--the expulsion of all foreigners and supported a strong Shogun (sort of like a "boss" who assumed power through diplomacy, skills and force). In the midst of these struggles, Japanese society was torn apart and chaos ruled the land. This is the background for the film--something the film assumed the audience knew--and if they were Japanese, this is probably true. But, this background is necessary and was never included in "When the Last Sword is Drawn".
Into this chaos came the Shinsengumi--a group made up of master-less samurai (ronin) who wanted to restore order in the land. They were traditionalists in many ways (hating foreigners and supporting the Shogun) but they also supported the Emperor--making them sort of like an independent force to ensure the peace. But, to do so, they needed to remain pure in spirit and deed as well as obey orders without question. This complete obedience is a theme throughout the film and several times their oath is put to the test, as followers were expected to kill themselves by committing ritual seppuku if they broke their oath.
Unlike some films from this period (such as "Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor" from 1969), this film really does not focus that much on the Shinsengami or its leaders but on two particular samurai within their ranks--but of the two, Kanichiro Yoshimura is clearly THE focus of the movie.
The film begins in 1898--well after the country has settled down to rule by the Emperor. Through a series of flashbacks that occur in a small medical clinic, you slowly start to learn the story of Yoshimura. However, the story comes out slowly and not always in a linear fashion. As a result, it can be VERY confusing. Now ultimately it's very rewarding that they did it this way, but once again, Westerners will most likely struggle to keep track of exactly what is occurring. I could say a lot more about the film but will leave that up for you to see for yourself. However, I liked it because it took an interesting slant on the idea of Bushido ('the way of the warrior'--literally the code by which the samurai lived). Unlike other films I've seen on the subject, Yoshimura's reasons for doing what he did are unique and you must see what this honorable man did for yourself.
Exceptional acting (I particularly liked the bit part played by Yoshimura's young daughter near the end of the movie), great swordplay, a nice deft direction as well as top-notch writing and sets make this among the best samurai films I have seen. If you like the genre, then you must see this film. But I do strongly recommend you first search the internet on the Shinsengumi to learn about them and their doomed mission before seeing the film--it will make things a lot clearer.